Skill Sets

Take the time to find out about the skills and experience of each member of the team. The strength of a team lies in the versatility of its members and its ability to draw on this diversity of knowledge and experience.

Rescue workers should have knowledge of:

• Ropes and knots and lashing
• How to use jacks and levers, chain hoists and ladders
• Shoring up buildings with materials found on the spot
• How to handle casualties;
• A Red Cross first-aid course is mandatory

Building Construction

Most buildings are vulnerable to the effects of man-made and natural disasters. The extent of the damage depends on the type of disaster and the construction of the building. Every type of structure will be affected - some buildings will collapse and others will be left with weakened floors and walls.

No matter what the scale of the damage, the techniques you use to rescue people remain the same.

Rescue workers should understand the patterns in which particular types of buildings collapse, both for their own safety and that of others. They must also keep untrained people from poking around in the rubble and debris. This may cause further collapse and harm trapped survivors.

Collapsed Buildings and Formation of Voids

Most un-reinforced buildings collapse into more or less predictable patterns. Often the collapsing structure forms what are called voids where people may live for some time. Rescue workers should know how to locate and search these voids.